Members of Michigan’s potato industry recently stressed the importance of partnership between industry and university to high-ranking Michigan State University (MSU) decision-makers — specifically, improving research infrastructure and maintaining key personnel roles.
In an Aug. 15 presentation to a group that included four of the eight-member MSU Board of Trustees, Dr. Kelly Turner, executive director of the Michigan Potato Industry Commission (MPIC), and Larry Jensen, of Main Farms, underscored the importance of partnership between industry and the university. The meeting, which took place at MSU’s Saginaw Valley Research Facility, included MSU Trustees Kelly Tebay (chair), Brianna T. Scott (vice chair), Rebecca Bahar-Cook, and Mike Balow.
Turner highlighted the urgent needs facing Michigan’s potato industry, particularly emphasizing the Montcalm Research Center. She called for innovative funding strategies — like public-private partnerships — to modernize infrastructure and ensure essential research roles are filled swiftly. Jensen, of Main Farms, a chipping potato production operation in Six Lakes, supported this perspective by reaffirming the symbiotic relationship between MSU research and industry innovation.
“What stood out to us was how genuinely interested the trustees were in strengthening their core purpose — creating value through agriculture for the people of Michigan,” Turner said. “They weren’t just here to listen; they created space for open, honest discussion about both opportunities and challenges. That kind of engagement gives us confidence that agriculture has strong partners at MSU’s leadership table and a commitment to their land grant roots.
"This is something that we have not seen for a while, and it is refreshing.”
Also speaking were MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Dean Dr. Matthew Daum and leaders of MSU AgBioResearch, the university’s agricultural research arm. AgBioResearch oversees over 350 researchers across seven MSU colleges, working through a network of 13 research centers statewide, with an annual budget exceeding $130 million.
Daum added depth to the discussion, articulating his vision for strengthening CANR’s academic, research, and stakeholder engagement capacities. His background in packaging, supply chain strategies, and corporate partnerships uniquely positions him to foster deeper connections with the agricultural sector.
By bringing together industry leaders, trustees, academic leadership, and research executives, this gathering became more than just a meeting — it became a shared declaration of shared purpose. The event reaffirmed that:
- Industry and university relationships are foundational and mutually reinforcing.
- Leadership from across CANR and AgBioResearch are aligned in vision and intent.
- Strategic investments in infrastructure and research roles are critical for long-term impact.
- Partnerships can drive sustained innovation, benefiting both Michigan agriculture and MSU’s land-grant mission.
Michigan’s potato sector supports $2.5 billion economic impact to the state’s economy each year, including supporting close to 22,000 state jobs. Michigan farmers grow approximately 1.9 billion pounds of potatoes annually, 70% of which goes to the chip processing industry, making Michigan the No. 1 producer of chip potatoes in the United States.
— Michigan Potato Industry Commission